Marios Schwab

That fox vs. hedgehog conceit is such a neat way of divvying up the world. And this morning's Marios Schwab show made you want to trot it out yet again. Some designers are foxes, who know many things; Schwab is manifestly a hedgehog, and he knows one big thing. And the big thing Schwab knows is the body. His new collection found him digging yet deeper into his fascination with the female form, as he sought out fresh ways of accentuating it, veiling yet revealing it, and capturing its movement. One way Schwab got at the latter was through placement prints suggestive of airbrushing, which seemed to freeze-frame some previous motion of a woman's curves. Scribblelike embroideries gave a similar impression, and the theme was important enough to Schwab that he named his collection Contours in homage. Schwab found other ways to contour the body, too, notably with belts and harnesses and even backpack straps. Meanwhile, two of the standout commercial looks here found Schwab creating a bustier effect, either by articulating the shape with little cuts and staplelike metal hardware (an element carried over from Resort) or by selectively shredding indigo-dyed denim.

Elsewhere, the emphasis was on layering and playing tricks with light. Schwab has been developing these ideas for a while, but the semi-sheer T-shirt dresses reiterated the look in appealingly casual fashion, and the sequin underlayers continued to have a pleasing electricity. Schwab has a great feel for sparkle and shine, a quality recalled, yet again, by his very fine metallic belts, and the similar-looking strap hardware on his platform thong sandals. The sandals marked the latest and best outing in Schwab's ongoing collaboration with The Poet in Athens, and they ought to be a hit.